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Greenspace for Living

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the supply of new homes recognising that good quality, affordable housing is important to the wellbeing and success of individuals, families and communities. The CSGN partners have a role to play in ensuring that development planning processes create opportunities to develop green networks and high quality environments linked to housing development. While new housing and development may create opportunities to extend green networks, the majority of Central Scotland’s housing stock for the next 50 years is already built. Improving the provision and management of greenspace in existing housing areas is, therefore, a priority.

The Partnership Board established a Short Term Working Group (STWG) in late 2012 to look at the greenspace issues associated with communally occupied housing. Greenspace scotland was commissioned to undertake a short scoping study (around evidencing need, looking at trends and capturing what is currently taking place). The STWG held a stakeholder seminar in April to gain further insight into the issues identified in the report, to consider barriers to tackling those issues and to start to look at possible ways to overcome these. The findings from the workshop will be fed into the work plan.

To help improve the quality of greenspace around housing in the CSGN area, we aim by 2016 to ensure that:

A scoping exercise with relevant partners and interests has identified issues and needs around greenspace around rented housing and recommended appropriate actions.

Detailed engagement with relevant stakeholders has led to an agreed approach to addressing known barriers to greenspace design and management and to identifying funding.

Funding has been obtained and is being dispersed to projects whish address greenspace design, use and management around rented homes.

Emerging best practice approaches to greenspace delivery and management have been identified and learning disseminated.